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| A youth called Curtis Doyle becomes the hero ] when he finds a fragment of the original Cube in the form of a ring, which allows the altering of reality in a very limited area. The character dies in battle saving fellow heroes Captain America; Spider-Man; ] and ] from the villain ].<ref>''Marvel Team-Up'' vol. 3, #20 - 24 (July - Nov. 2006)</ref> | A youth called Curtis Doyle becomes the hero ] when he finds a fragment of the original Cube in the form of a ring, which allows the altering of reality in a very limited area. The character dies in battle saving fellow heroes Captain America; Spider-Man; ] and ] from the villain ].<ref>''Marvel Team-Up'' vol. 3, #20 - 24 (July - Nov. 2006)</ref> | ||
| Kang the Conquerer appears to Star-Lord of the Guardians of the Galaxy with the last cosmic cube pre-calibrated to stop Adam Warlock from turning into the Magus. Warlock has already been the Magus for months, however. Star-Lord uses the cube to hold off Warlock and shoot him.<ref>Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #19</ref> | |||
| ===Chaos Engine=== | ===Chaos Engine=== | ||
Revision as of 01:22, 31 October 2009
| Cosmic Cube | |
|---|---|
 The Titan Thanos holds the Cosmic Cube (the entity Death looks on in the background).Interior artwork from Captain Marvel 30 (Jan 1974) Art by Jim Starlin. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Tales of Suspense #79 (July 1966) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Jack Kirby |
| In story information | |
| Type | Mystic item/artifact |
| Element of stories featuring | S.H.I.E.L.D., Red Skull, Thanos |
The Cosmic Cube is the name of a fictional object (originally thought to only be in cube form but later appearing in a variety of geometric forms) that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The object is capable of transforming any wish into reality, irrespective of the consequences.
Publication history
The first Cosmic Cube made its first appearance in Tales of Suspense #79 (July 1966), and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The device was created by a secret society of para-military scientists known as A.I.M. to further their ultimate goal of world conquest. The object was revealed to be so powerful that it drove MODOK - another A.I.M creation who assisted with the formation of the Cube - insane. Master villain and former Nazi the Red Skull was at the time allied to A.I.M and through trickery obtained the device. Although apparently now all-powerful, the Skull became overconfident and was tricked and defeated by hero Captain America. The Skull retrieves the Cube and toys with Captain America, but is defeated when A.I.M uses an object called the Catholite Block to dissolve the cube.
The Cube was eventually found by the Titan Thanos who, like the Red Skull, wishes to control the universe (this also attracts the amorous attention of the entity Death). Although opposed by superhero team the Avengers and the alien Kree warrior Captain Mar-Vell, Thanos becomes supreme when willing the Cube to make him a part of - and therefore in control of - everything. Thanos discards the Cube, believing it to be drained of power, and is then stripped of the power by a dying Mar-Vell, who shatters the Cube and restores the universe.
A second Cube is created by a team of the Red Skull's scientists, but is retrieved by a strike team from the spy organisation S.H.I.E.L.D before it can be utilized. Brought to research installation Project: Pegasus, the Cube was stolen by villain and cult leader Victorius, with the character using the object to create the being Jude the Entropic Man. Both are neutralized when in simultaneous contact with the Cube (and the creature the Man Thing). The Cube is returned to Pegasus by Captain America and the Fantastic Four member the Thing. where it eventually transforms the alien Wundarr into the entity the Aquarian.
The Thing allies with fellow heroes Doctor Strange; the Scarlet Witch; Spider-Man, and Quasar to prevent the original Serpent Crown from summoning the Elder God Set. During a battle to stop A.I.M from using the Cube once again, Captain America witnesses the Cube evolve into the entity called Kubik, which becomes a student of the Shaper of Worlds - actually a mature Cube itself, having been created by the alien Skrulls.
Kubik returns to Earth when attracted by an anomaly possessing a fraction of its power - revealed to be the robot the Super Adaptoid. The Adaptoid uses its' abilities to "copy" Kubik's abilities and banishes the character, intent on creating a race in its own image. The Adaptoid, however, is tricked into shutting down by Captain America. Kubik returns and then removes the sliver of the original Cosmic Cube from the Adaptoid that gave the robot its abilities.
Kubik also battles the renegade entity the Beyonder (originally encountered in the Secret Wars series - Secret Wars (May 1984 - Apr. 1985) & Secret Wars II (July 1985 - Mar. 1986) - with its' origin and purpose revealed in this story), and reveals to the entity and former Fantastic Four villain the Molecule Man that they are in fact both parts of an incomplete Cube, and convinces them to merge their powers. This forms a new being called Kosmos, who becomes the pupil of Kubik.
The character the the Magus - an evil version of anti-hero Adam Warlock - acquires five Cosmic Cubes from neighboring universes, with each appearing in a different geometric form. The Magus uses mechanical aids to manipulate the Cubes, as their combined presence would quickly cause permanent brain damage. The character uses the Cubes to create an evil doppleganger of almost all of the Marvel heroes and then alters the universe, but is tricked and defeated when acquiring the Infinity Gauntlet, as one key gem is revealed to be a fake.
Although the Magus is defeated, Warlock's "good side" - the female the Goddess - also appears and wishes to purge the universe of all evil. To do this the character collects 30 containment units, with each storing the power of a Cosmic Cube, and merges them into a Cosmic Egg. Despite the fact that the Egg can fulfill the Goddess' wishes, the character is defeated by Warlock and Thanos.
Another Cube appears in the 31st century: wielded once again by the Red Skull. Together with Captain America, the pair battle the cosmic entity Korvac, with the Skull using the Cube to scatter Korvac across six dimensions.
A youth called Curtis Doyle becomes the hero Freedom Ring when he finds a fragment of the original Cube in the form of a ring, which allows the altering of reality in a very limited area. The character dies in battle saving fellow heroes Captain America; Spider-Man; Spider-Woman and Wolverine from the villain Iron Maniac.
Kang the Conquerer appears to Star-Lord of the Guardians of the Galaxy with the last cosmic cube pre-calibrated to stop Adam Warlock from turning into the Magus. Warlock has already been the Magus for months, however. Star-Lord uses the cube to hold off Warlock and shoot him.
Chaos Engine
A flawed cosmic cube is the main plot device in Steven A. Roman's Chaos Engine novel series, with the object passing between super-villains Doctor Doom, Magneto and the Red Skull, each whom uses it to create his own unique version of a perfect world.
JLA/Avengers
Main article: JLA/AvengersA Cosmic Cube was one of the twelve items of power sought by superhero teams the Avengers and the JLA when they competed against each other in a game organised by entities Krona and the Grandmaster, in the intercompany crossover JLA/Avengers.
Other versions
Ultimate Cosmic Cube
In the Ultimate Marvel imprint alternate universe title Ultimate Fantastic Four, Mister Fantastic builds a "cuboid volitional lattice" courtesy of an deliberate, subconscious suggestion from the Ultimate version of the Titan Thanos.
References
- Tales of Suspense #79 - 81 (July - Sept. 1966)
- Captain America #115 - 120 (July - Dec. 1969)
- Thanos is seen hunting for the Cube in Daredevil #107 (Jan. 1974) and locates it in Captain Marvel #28 (Sep. 1973)
- Captain Marvel #25 - 33 (bi-monthly: Mar. 1972 - July 1974)
- Super-Villain Team-Up #16-17 (May 1979 & June 1980)
- Marvel Two-In-One #42-43 (Aug. - Sep. 1978)
- Marvel Two-In-One #57-58 (Dec. 1979 - Jan. 1980)
- Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 (1982)
- Captain America Annual #7 (1983)
- Avengers #289 - 290 (Mar. - Apr. 1988)
- First appearance Fantastic Four #20 (Nov. 1963)
- Fantastic Four #319 (Oct. 1988)
- Infinity War #1 - 6 (June - Nov. 1992)
- Infinity Crusade #1 - 6 (June - Nov. 1993)
- Captain America vol. 3, #14 - 19 (Feb. - July 1999)
- Marvel Team-Up vol. 3, #20 - 24 (July - Nov. 2006)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #19
- X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy By Steven A. Roman, ISBN 0743497740
- JLA/Avengers #1 - 4 (Sep. 2003 - Apr. 2004 - bi-monthly)
- Ultimate Fantastic Four #42 (May 2007)
External links
- Cosmic Cube at the Marvel Database Project